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A teen site and community for teenage girlsTue, 03 Mar 2015 23:59:56 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.115 Guy Celebs That Are Your New Hair Inspiration For Springhttp://www.gurl.com/2015/03/03/male-celebrities-hair-inspiration-for-spring/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=male-celebrities-hair-inspiration-for-spring
http://www.gurl.com/2015/03/03/male-celebrities-hair-inspiration-for-spring/#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 23:59:56 +0000http://www.gurl.com/?p=173016Read More]]>Whenever we transition from winter to spring, I start thinking about ways to update my look for the new season. I recently cut off a large chunk of my hair and have been working with a long bob of sorts, but I’m itching to change it again. I was thinking about doing a more subtle ombre a la Jared Leto, and lo and behold, he cut all of his hair off!

I am so sad, but that doesn’t mean I can’t admire what his hair used to be. It made me question if this trend is officially over though. But then I was looking at some other celebs with great hair and was finding more inspiration from guys than women. So, I present you with your new and surprising hair inspiration for spring:

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Jared Leto

The reason I'm even writing this is because Jared Leto chopped all of his ombre perfection off. I still don't know how to get ombre like his. I also still don't know how it looks like angels physically crafted each strand of his hair. Even though Jared Leto no longer looks like Jesus, his hair is still the #1 inspiration in my heart.

Photo Source: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Avan Jogia

Okay, who cares about Jared Leto's ombre anymore when we have this beautiful head of hair on Avan Jogia? How does he get his waves like that? He is every beach girl's hairspiration.

Photo Source: Larry Busacca/Getty Images

Simon Baker

I had him on my list last year, and I refuse to take him off of it because LOOK AT THOSE GOLDEN CURLS. Like, what?

Photo Source: Marc Piasecki/WireImage

Austin Butler

Oh, hello, Austin Butler's perfect, silky strands. Use this style to embrace the piece-y, effortless look that we so desperately want to achieve.

Photo Source: Valerie Macon/Getty Images

Clay Matthews

Clay Matthews of the Green Bay Packers is a majestic creature with probably the best hair in the NFL. Look at him just painting with all the colors of the wind! Use Clay as inspiration to go out with wet hair more this spring.

Photo Source: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Jared Padelecki

The Supernatural star has had supernatural hair ever since his days on Gilmore Girls. If he doesn't inspire you to get a bob and clear your shoulders, I don't know who will.

Photo Source: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Nathan Parsons

True Blood fans will recognize Nathan Parsons as James. The Originals fans will recognize him as Jackson. Either way, recognize that his hair is perfect, and we should all stop washing ours so much.

Photo Source: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Jason Momoa

If you're a Game of Thrones fan, you know who this guy is: Khal Drogo! He's actually doing a lot of cool projects now and is going to be the new Aquaman. But his hair is the real hero. Look at those waves! They are proof you can wear a ridiculous hat and still look great.

Photo Source: Mat Hayward/Getty Images

Kit Harington

Kit Harington plays Jon Snow on Game of Thrones and actually has it in his contract that he can't touch his hair without permission. Kit Harington is my hair idol. More like Kit HAIRington, amirite?

Photo Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Corbin Bleu

Corbin Bleu, where have you been?! Oh, right, being hot with your amazing hair. Corbin went from an afro on High School Musical to this sculpted masterpiece on Broadway. He makes me want to cut my hair into a curly pixie.

Photo Source: Angela Weiss/Getty Images

Troy Polamalu

Troy Polamalu plays strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but we all know his hair game is the strongest. He's had glorious curls forever and they've long been his identifying factor. I wish I knew who he was when I was younger and dealing with a mess of curls.

Photo Source: George Gojkovich/Getty Images

Michiel Huisman

This is another Game of Thrones man, Daario Naharis. He also appeared alongside Reese Witherspoon in Wild with the same amazing hair. And he's in Orphan Black. Anyway, his hair looks like the softest possible hair on the planet. One can only hope that conditioner will bless you with hair like his.

Photo Source: Barry King/FilmMagic

Drew Van Acker

Pretty Little Liars' Drew Van Acker has quite possibly the best highlights I've ever seen. Every time I see his hair, I want to go blonde.

Photo Source: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

Aaron Taylor Johnson

Remember him? He's the guy from Kick-Ass! He's also married to the director of Fifty Shades of Grey. And I'm married to the fact that his hair is literally perfect.

Photo Source: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Harry Styles

This is the year 2015 so I can't make a list like this without including Harry Styles. Duh.

Photo Source: Getty Images Entertainment/Francois G. Durand

Whose hair do you like the best? What other male celebs are your hair inspiration? Tell us in the comments below!

]]>http://www.gurl.com/2015/03/03/male-celebrities-hair-inspiration-for-spring/feed/020 #DearMe Tweets With The Best Life And Dating Advice You’ll Ever Hearhttp://www.gurl.com/2015/03/03/dearme-tweets-life-dating-advice-for-girls-young-women-international-womens-day/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dearme-tweets-life-dating-advice-for-girls-young-women-international-womens-day
http://www.gurl.com/2015/03/03/dearme-tweets-life-dating-advice-for-girls-young-women-international-womens-day/#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 20:36:58 +0000http://www.gurl.com/?p=172964Read More]]>March 8th is a very important day: International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate women all over the world. And if you know anything about Gurl, you know that we’re super excited for this. We’re all about celebrating women every single day of the year, so of course we’re all about a special day dedicated just to females.

But March 8th isn’t the only time to celebrate women. YouTube is getting a jump start on International Women’s Day with their #DearMe campaign. The #DearMe campaign encourages women and girls to share words of wisdom they would like to tell their younger selves – which translates to some seriously amazing advice that every girl needs to hear. Check out the video to get a better idea of what I’m talking about:

You can even get in on the inspirational action by creating your own message to your younger self and making it into a GIF right here! No matter how old you are, we’ve all learned a little something about growing up, and passing on this advice is the best way to connect with younger girls – or even girls who are your age who haven’t learned exactly what you have.

The video has been such a big hit that #DearMe has been the number one trending topic on Twitter all day. And, surprisingly, Twitter has come through: the tweets in the hashtag are almost all worth sharing.

Here are 20 of the best #DearMe tweets that contain some of the greatest life and dating advice every girl should hear. Leave your own #DearMe message in the comments – we want to hear it!

#DearMe Never give up as you promised yourself you wouldn't. Things seem hard but look around you – you've got great friends and people.

]]>http://www.gurl.com/2015/03/03/dearme-tweets-life-dating-advice-for-girls-young-women-international-womens-day/feed/013 Things You’ll Only Understand If You Love Old Musichttp://www.gurl.com/2015/03/02/things-youll-only-understand-if-you-love-old-music/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=things-youll-only-understand-if-you-love-old-music
http://www.gurl.com/2015/03/02/things-youll-only-understand-if-you-love-old-music/#commentsMon, 02 Mar 2015 22:04:11 +0000http://www.gurl.com/?p=172860Read More]]>My parents are old, which means that along with Britney Spears, Blink 182, and Destiny’s Child, I grew up listening to some serious oldies. Not like, ’80s oldies. I mean real oldies, from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. Motown, The Supremes, The Beatles…of course, it’s easy to try to reject your parents’ taste in music when you just want to listen to boy bands, but you quickly realize that even though your parents might have the wrong idea about the clothes you wear, they had the right idea when it came to the music they were into back in the day. My parents’ interest in ’60s music led to me discovering ’60s music they didn’t even listen to all that much, like Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix etc. That led to my interest in ’70s and ’80s punk, too, a genre they definitely didn’t approach.

For those of us who have a serious love for music that’s older than we are, it can sometimes be tough to talk to other people about it especially if they mostly listen to top 40 music. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with new, even popular music. But there’s so much more out there to discover and people…just…don’t. Ugh! Anyway, you get me. Here are 13 things you’ll only understand if you love old music.

1. You know for a fact that some of the best music in the history of music was made before 1990.

2. More than half of your favorite bands are not current whatsoever, and you’re cool with that.

3. You find yourself swooning over musicians of yesteryear a lot more than current musicians. Mmmm, Jimi Hendrix…George Harrison…Blondie…Diana Ross…

4. Oh, and more than half of the music you own/stream is about 40 years old.

5. Your idea of a good time is diving into some ancient vinyls at a flea market.

6. Oh, and then playing those ancient vinyls on a record player because nothing can compare to that feeling!

7. When somebody is obsessing over a newer band’s song that they think is original…when you know that it’s a cover of an old song.

8. When you hear a sample of an old song in a new song and you get so hype, but you’re the only one who can recognize the song it originally came from.

9. You’ve considered dressing up as one of your favorite old musicians for Halloween but debated whether it was worth having to explain your costume to everyone.

10. You would probably give up your left arm and a kidney to see your favorite old band reunite. Potentially both kidneys if half of the band is already dead.

11. You regularly think about how awesome it would be to be a teenager around the time that your favorite old band was popular.

12. You have to deal with people thinking that you’re a music snob just because you’re into old music.

13. And hey, even if you are…you shouldn’t get hate for having good taste, okay? The haters better recognize.

Okay, what is your favorite old school band/artist? Which do you think are way overrated? Tell us in the comments!

We’ve written about domestic violence and abusive relationships many times here on Gurl. As scary as it sounds to read about what could happen and what does happen to thousands of women every year, it’s still something that most women dismiss as “something that could never happen to me.” However, it’s quite a different thing to read about what might happen and to read about one person’s very true, very terrifying story of what actually did happen.

I was recently approached by a representative from the nonprofit organization Laura’s House to raise awareness about abusive relationships, and my answer was obviously an immediate yes. Domestic violence is such an important topic that everyone needs to know about, regardless of age or relationship status, and I am always interested in discussing it with you guys.

This time, I got to interview Nancy Tran, a teen dating violence survivor who has a horrifying story she was willing to share with everyone. Despite how hard I imagine this is for her to discuss, Nancy is committed to spreading her story so that other girls can learn from it. When Nancy was about 17-years-old, her ex-boyfriend set her on fire. Nancy shared her harrowing story with us, along with some very wise advice and tips on what to do if you feel like you’re in an abusive or controlling relationship. Check out our interview with Nancy:

Let’s start at the beginning. When did you meet your ex-boyfriend, and how long did you two date?
I met him at my best friend’s sixteenth birthday. We were both teenagers. We dated on and off for a total of three years.

What was your relationship like before you realized something was wrong? How long did it take for you to realize that he was abusive?
During the course of our relationship, I never considered our relationship to be abusive. I had a strict father, so my relationship with the ex mostly consisted of phone calls. Our relationship was on and off. When it was on, it felt good because he was attuned to me. When our relationship was off, he was physically, mentally and verbally absent because he would disappear out of my life abruptly. When he disappeared without an explanation, I considered it abandonment and emotional abuse because I felt he was taking advantage of my feelings.

What were the first signs of abuse for you?
I never considered our relationship abusive because he never hit me or called me names. I did have uneasy feelings in my stomach that I could not explain about him and our situation. Bad gut feelings were prominent throughout the course of the relationship.

When you first met him, did you ever imagine he could be abusive in any way?
When I first met him, my gut feelings were stronger than my imagination. Doubt and second guessing were a huge theme when I first met him.

How long did it take for other people to realize that something was wrong in your relationship? Did anyone ever try to tell you they didn’t like him?
It wasn’t until the last year of our relationship that I noticed family and friends were making comments about him. My family members would tell me that I was too good for him, and wished I would date someone else. They did not have a good feeling about him. My friends and his so-called friends would make comments, and question why I stay with him.

Was he controlling?
The times I remember him to be controlling were when my friends would bump into him and he would ask them where I was. My friends described his reaction and emotions as jealous and protective. In my perspective, I thought it was weird because he would disappear for months, at which point I would hear about his odd behavior at social gatherings. Again, I had a strict father so I wasn’t able to attend any social events during my high school years.

What made you realize that you couldn’t be with him anymore?
At the time, he worked at FedEx as a carrier. He was caught stealing computers, and investigators contacted me thinking I was a participant of the crime. That scared me a lot because I never got in trouble with the law. When he was caught, I had a glimpse of a future I didn’t want.

I know it’s very hard to officially end things with an abuser. How did you manage to end your relationship?
After he received his sentence for the crime he committed with FedEx – house arrest and probation – I realized it would be the perfect time to break up once and for all. Because he was confined within his home, I knew he wouldn’t be able to follow me or track me down through my sister or friends. In the past, when we were broken up, I would hang out with my friends and he would always know what I was doing.

Did you have any help from family or friends?
After I broke up with him, I never felt endangered enough to warn my friends or family.

Can you tell us what happened the night he set you on fire? What were the events leading up to it?
The day before, he kept asking to have one last dinner with me and I agreed under one circumstance — I wanted it to be a group dinner, and invited two other friends. I remember thinking, “I am going with my gut feeling and sticking to it.” We all had dinner at Spaghetti Factory in Hollywood, California. I noticed his behavior and demeanor was different than how he was earlier in the day. He appeared sadder, quiet, distracted, and disturbed. Although I noticed a change in his behavior, I dismissed it because I felt he was trying to play a role. I ignored it because I was looking forward to moving on with my life.

After dinner, he took me home and I remember looking at the clock — it was exactly midnight. He said, “give me one more hug?” I gave him a hug and went into my house. I got ready for bed, and realized my three-year-old cousin was still up. He asked if he could sleep with me and I allowed it. Next thing I knew, I woke up in flames thinking it was a nightmare. When I realized the nightmare did not go away and I began feeling the heat, I rolled around the room until I was put out. My aunt in the other room grabbed a blanket and covered me up. After I was put out, my aunt pulled me close to her and frantically said, “You smell like gasoline! Why do you smell like gasoline?!” Initially, I thought it was from a house fire because my parents were doing construction in the back of the house, but once she said gasoline I knew it wasn’t an accident – it was intentional.

My mother then ran into the room and said, “I saw him run out, I saw him!” That was when everything clicked, and I realized it was the ex. I ran out of the house while cupping my breasts because my pajamas were burned off. I was filled with so much adrenaline I started running – likely a result of the chaos. When I realized he was not there anymore, I ran into the house and headed straight to the bathroom to look at myself in the mirror. My skin was singed pink and I thought, “I’ll heal from this.” Suddenly, I began to get really cold and began quivering and shaking. Considering it was July 2, 2000 – in the middle of summer when heat and humidity were in full effect – I knew having chills wasn’t a good sign. I told my father to take me to the hospital. As we arrived at the hospital, I was immediately greeted by hospital staff who took me to the gurney as they were asking me questions and cutting jewelry off of me. At that point I blacked out.

What happened to him afterwards?
He was sentenced 10 years to life in prison with a 15 percent chance of parole. He is still in prison, but will be meeting with the boards this summer for his release.

This event was obviously very horrible, and I’m so sorry you had to go through it. But if there was one lesson you learned from this, or one thing you could take from this, what would you say it was?
Trust your gut feeling! I know it’s cliché to say, but you have to. It’s a feeling you cannot explain, but there is always a reason why. You may not find out the answer right away, but you will eventually figure it out.

What do you think are the biggest signs of dating violence that other girls should look out for?
Jealousy. Violent behavior toward you, other people, pets, and things (such as punching the wall). Also, if you hear other people say negative things about your boyfriend/girlfriend – that is an indicator that he/she has a bad reputation of character and behavior. Again, if you have any feelings that make you feel uncomfortable, that is a red flag as well.

What is your advice to girls who think they may be dating someone abusive and violent?
If you feel like you’re dating someone who is abusive or violent, make sure you notify your friends and family of your feelings. Have a plan in case something happens. Create a code with family and friends via phone call, text, or email if you feel like something bad will occur. Utilize your resources, like Laura’s House H.E.A.R.T. (Healthy Emotions and Attitudes in Relationships for Teens) program. The H.E.A.R.T. program can provide educational materials on healthy relationships, safety planning and tips on how to get help if you think you’re in an abusive relationship.

What is your advice to a girl who wants to break up with her boyfriend, but is too scared?
If you are planning to break up with your partner, please tell your family and friends. The first 72 hours of a break up are very crucial. An abuser is unpredictable and his/her state of mind will most likely be irrational and emotional during the break up.

How are you moving on from this? What is your advice to other girls moving on from dating violence?
After you feel safe, create a checklist of what you want to do with your life. For example, I knew I had to go back to school and get my education. No one is going to take care of me but me. I made a list: 1. go to community college 2. save money, 3. transfer to a four-year university, 4. push the envelope to earn my master’s degree in social work. Also, challenge yourself to gain a sense of confidence you never would have imagined. Do things that make you happy. Surround yourself with people you like and who inspire you. You will eventually be the person you want to be.

What has been the most helpful thing anyone ever told you throughout all of this?
The most helpful thing my family and friends ever told me was to do what I want to do and what I need to do for myself. My family and friends supported me in everything I did. If I had to walk like a duck to feel like a duck, they walked like a duck with me. It was that unconditional love and support I received that made me feel normal and supported.

What is the most important thing you could tell any girl dealing with an abusive relationship right now?
Make sure you have a plan when you are ready to break up. Tell your family and friends. If you feel like you need to go somewhere to hide, for the first 72 hours, do not go to your where your abuser knows your location, like your family’s or friend’s houses. Normally, he/she will track you down through familiar family and friends. If you feel like you need help, call the Laura’s House 24-Hour Crisis Hotline: 866-498-1511; or California Youth Crisis Line: 800-843-5200 or; National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE. If you have questions or concerns about your relationship, contact Laura’s House: 866-498-1511; or Counseling and Resource Center: 949-361-3775. Also check out www.laurashouse.org/lhteen for resources and information about teen dating violence.

About Laura’s House: The mission of Laura’s House is to change the social beliefs, attitudes and the behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence while creating a safe space to empower individuals and families affected by abuse.

For more than 20 years, Laura’s House has served those whose lives have been affected by domestic violence. Over the past two decades, Laura’s House has provided shelter and support services to more than 4,000 battered women and children and counseling, life skills education and legal assistance to over 45,000 people. Laura’s House also offers a 24/7 emergency hotline to provide services to men, women, children, the elderly population, LGBT community and teens at 1-866-498-1511. Connect with Laura’s House on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

What did you think of this story? Have you ever found yourself in an abusive relationship? Tell us in the comments.

]]>http://www.gurl.com/2015/03/02/my-boyfriend-set-me-on-fire-domestic-abusive-relationship-teen-dating-violence-story-confession/feed/010 Signs You’re The Cinderella Of Your Friendshttp://www.gurl.com/2015/03/01/signs-youre-the-cinderella-of-your-friends/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=signs-youre-the-cinderella-of-your-friends
http://www.gurl.com/2015/03/01/signs-youre-the-cinderella-of-your-friends/#commentsMon, 02 Mar 2015 00:00:04 +0000http://www.gurl.com/?p=172432Read More]]>Cinderella is one of the original Disney Princesses who really brought the fairytale dream to life. She was living in a pretty terrible situation and then was whisked away by a literal Prince Charming. While the story itself is a bit worthy of an eyebrow raise, Cinderella is still pretty cool.

She was pretty meek at first, but then she learned how to stand up for herself and do things that she wanted to do. She also had fabulous shoes. If you’re anything like Cinderella, you might share these traits:

]]>http://www.gurl.com/2015/03/01/signs-youre-the-cinderella-of-your-friends/feed/015 Jokes And Memes That Only True Frozen Fans Will Lovehttp://www.gurl.com/2015/03/01/funny-frozen-jokes-memes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=funny-frozen-jokes-memes
http://www.gurl.com/2015/03/01/funny-frozen-jokes-memes/#commentsSun, 01 Mar 2015 20:00:00 +0000http://www.gurl.com/?p=172487Read More]]>I have to start with a disclaimer here: I still haven’t seen Frozen. I don’t really intend to watch it, but I’ve come across enough GIFs and clips and “Let It Go” covers to last me a lifetime. I know exactly what happens in the movie so it’s fine.

My favorite thing about the Frozen phenomenon is the jokes and memes that have come out of it. There are so many good ones, but I’ve rounded up 15 of the best ones just for you:

]]>http://www.gurl.com/2015/03/01/funny-frozen-jokes-memes/feed/07 Things That Happen In Every Single Episode Of Full Househttp://www.gurl.com/2015/02/27/things-that-happen-every-episode-full-house/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=things-that-happen-every-episode-full-house
http://www.gurl.com/2015/02/27/things-that-happen-every-episode-full-house/#commentsFri, 27 Feb 2015 19:00:22 +0000http://www.gurl.com/?p=172489Read More]]>

Even though reruns are on the air, I still really miss Full House. That was one of the best shows from the ’90s, even though it was so ridiculous. It was funny, family-oriented, and just a good show to watch at the end of the day. Full House was one of those shows that could teach you a lot because every episode had a moral.

Morals weren’t the only things that happened in a 30-minute span, though. No way, Jose. (See what I did there?) TV shows do follow formulas, especially sitcoms. However, Full House was one show that followed its formula to a tee every single time:

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Danny Obsessively Cleans

It's pretty obvious that Danny is still very distraught by the death of his wife, but instead of going to therapy or something to help him through the unresolved grief, he pushes it aside by cleaning. Danny being a neat freak might seem like a fun quirk for his character, but it's pretty clear that he uses cleaning as a distraction to actually dealing with what's going on.

Photo Source: ABC

DJ Finds Herself In Some Sort Of Moral Dilemma

While all of the girls struggle with growing up and figuring out what's right and wrong, DJ does it the most. She's often faced with a big moral dilemma and usually makes a decision that will end up teaching her a lesson in the end.

Photo Source: ABC

Kimmy Gets Made Fun Of By Full-Grown Adults

Kimmy Gibbler is DJ's best friend and the wacky neighbor, but she's just a typical teenager. Sure, she's a little weird, but what teen isn't? It's one thing when Stephanie or Michelle make fun of Kimmy, but Danny, Joey, and Jesse all make fun of her too. They are FULL-GROWN ADULTS. It is not okay for adults to make fun of children or teenagers, yet this is widely acceptable for some reason.

Photo Source: ABC

Stephanie Has Middle Child Syndrome

Poor Stephanie. Middle children often have what's called "middle child syndrome" where they try to get attention where they can. I have many friends who are middle children, and they all do this, even as adults. Stephanie is nosy as all get out in every episode. She finds herself in trouble a lot too, probably because she does things that she know will make her family take notice.

Photo Source: ABC

Michelle Provides Cute Comic Relief And Comes Up With A New Catch Phrase

Obviously, Michelle is adorable. She always does something really cute that the adults think is the best thing since sliced bread, which causes Stephanie and DJ to get a little annoyed. Michelle is supposed to be cute for comic relief, and she basically has a new catch phrase every few episodes.

Photo Source: ABC

Uncle Joey Is Aloof

Joey has literally no idea what he's doing. He doesn't hold down a real job until the later seasons. While he's super caring and does a lot for the family, he also is another distraction for them, especially Danny. You can guarantee that in every episode, Joey will get into some sort of shenanigans.

Photo Source: ABC

Uncle Jesse Is A Babe

This isn't a bad thing at all, but Uncle Jesse continues to be hot in every episode.

Photo Source: ABC

Did you watch Full House? What else happens in every episode? Tell us in the comments below!

]]>http://www.gurl.com/2015/02/27/things-that-happen-every-episode-full-house/feed/015 Things You’ll Only Understand If You Saw The Dress As White And Goldhttp://www.gurl.com/2015/02/27/the-dress-is-white-and-gold/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-dress-is-white-and-gold
http://www.gurl.com/2015/02/27/the-dress-is-white-and-gold/#commentsFri, 27 Feb 2015 17:13:02 +0000http://www.gurl.com/?p=172697Read More]]>We now know the truth: that the dress is apparently a black and blue.

The Tumblr user who originally posted about the dress has come forward and posted a different photo of the same dress. So that’s the truth, folks!

Yes, we now know the truth after all of the memes, the reactions, and the BS explanations as to why some people saw black and blue and why others saw white and gold. One rumor was that it had to do with your emotions, which is untrue.

Here’s the truth: It’s all about how your brain interprets light. Our brain processes sight from light entering our lens and then hitting our retinas, which send off some vibes to the visual cortex of our brains. While our brains are usually all on the same page as far as processing colors goes, this particular image hit what Wired called “a perceptual boundary.” Essentially, none of our brains can seem to agree on what color that dress in in that photo.

Cool, science! But listen.

Listen.

Despite the fact that the dress is, apparently, black and blue…OH MY GOD I DON’T CARE I STILL SEE WHITE AND GOLD. SO MANY OF US STILL SEE WHITE AND GOLD.

Everyone who sees blue and black will show you photos of the actual dress online and tell you that it only comes in black and blue…AS IF THAT CHANGES ANYTHING. They’ll say, “but you’re wrong, here are the receipts” but they don’t seem to understand that that’s what’s so freaky and frustrating about this entire thing! Seriously, there was nothing more annoying than seeing white and gold while my boyfriend say blue and black. What. Are. Eyes? What. Is Science? OMG.

If you’re on team #whiteandgold and you’re still reeling from last night’s dress debacle, here are 15 things you’ll understand.

1. YOU KNOW THAT NO MATTER WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN OTHER PHOTOS, IN THAT ONE PHOTO THIS DAMN DRESS IS WHITE AND GOLD.

2. The first time that you realized that someone sees blue and black instead of white and gold (which is still is) you were like…

3. You freaked out and immediately looked for more supporters. WHITE AND GOLD, SQUAD UP.

4. You then began pulling out every gold, white, black and blue article of clothing that you own, just to make sure you weren’t having a psychotic break.

4. You briefly wondered if you’re colorblind but quickly deduced that if anyone can’t see colors correctly then it’s those damn Team Black and Blue people.

5. People told you to just look at it at a different angle or on a different screen, then you’d see the blue and black. Well, guess what, IT’S STILL WHITE AND GOLD.

6. In fact, the very notion that it is anything other than white and gold just does not even compute. It’s nowhere NEAR looking like black and blue. What? WHAT?

7. In need of more support, you checked to make sure that your favorite celebs were Team White And Gold.

8. And when they weren’t you deeply considered whether or not you can truly be a dedicated fan of someone WHO IS SO COMPLETELY WRONG.

9. You might have teetered on the edge of a breakup with a BF/GF or some friends or disowning your family. How could you be friends with somebody who can’t tell the difference between black and white? How could the person who gave you life say it is black and blue?

10. You even saw people do some photoshop trickery in which they turned down the exposure or whatever, and it just ended up looking like an ugly periwinkle and brown. Still. Not. Black. And. Blue.

11. After you finally saw alternate pictures of the dress, which is definitely black and blue, you immediately questioned reality.

12. And then you had to deal with people saying that you’re eyes are effed up. LEAVE US ALONE.

13. You know that you’ll always be on Team White and gold no matter what the haters say because IT IS AN EFFING WHITE AND GOLD DRESS IN THAT PHOTO.

14. You showed everyone this, because, whatever, at least most of us saw white and gold anyway!

]]>http://www.gurl.com/2015/02/27/the-dress-is-white-and-gold/feed/0WTF Is Going On With #TheDress? 25 Funniest Twitter Reactions (Plus An Explanation!)http://www.gurl.com/2015/02/27/what-is-the-dress-white-gold-black-blue-funny-reactions-memes-color-perception/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-is-the-dress-white-gold-black-blue-funny-reactions-memes-color-perception
http://www.gurl.com/2015/02/27/what-is-the-dress-white-gold-black-blue-funny-reactions-memes-color-perception/#commentsFri, 27 Feb 2015 15:13:05 +0000http://www.gurl.com/?p=172692Read More]]>Yesterday was a really weird day for the Internet. First, two llamas (alpacas?) escaped in Arizona, inspiring a police chase that became nationwide news, not to mention a lot of hilarious memes. But, as crazy as it may sound, this amazing news was quickly overshadowed by something else: a dress that drove the entire world crazy.

Tumblr user swiked posted the below photo of a dress asking Tumblr what colors they saw, saying she and her friends saw different things. It immediately blew up on Tumblr, and Buzzfeed picked up the post, asking everyone “What Colors Are This Dress?”

When I first saw this photo and link pop up on my Facebook page, I rolled my eyes and kept scrolling, because the dress was so obviously white and gold to me that I figured Buzzfeed was just being weird and annoying. I went back to binge-watching Gilmore Girls (guys, I have a problem), but a few hours later, this same dress popped up on my Instagram feed, with a girl saying, “what colors do you see?!?!” I sat there wondering to myself why everyone was freaking out about a dress that was obviously white and gold, looked at the Buzzfeed article, saw that people actually believed it was black and blue, and freaked the eff out.

I spent the rest of the night frantically texting every friend I’ve ever had with the same picture of the dress from Buzzfeed, asking them what colors they saw. I showed the picture on my phone to my entire family – my dad, mom, brother, sister, and my brother’s girlfriend all saw blue and black. Gurl editor Caitlin saw blue and black, Teen editor Kaitlin saw blue and black, most of my friends did too… and then finally, FINALLY, Gurl writer Ashley and Teen editor Ally told me they saw white and gold too.

I wasn’t the only person freaking out about the fact that I saw white and gold (not even a slight hint of black or blue), while so many others seemed to see opposite colors. I think the entire population had a panic attack about these colors. It was all anyone was talking about on every social media site. Celebrities got in on the action, news stations stopped talking about llamas and started talking about #TheDress, and every other issue was forgotten because WHAT THE EFF WAS GOING ON.

Here’s the deal, in case you’re confused: some people saw white and gold (like me). Some people saw blue and black. Some people saw purple or even brown. A few people could even see the dress both ways – my sister first saw it as blue and black, then white and gold, then back to blue and black.

A lot of people searched for #TheDress, only to find that it is only sold in blue and black. This made my brain hurt, because I so clearly see the dress as white and gold and WHAT IS HAPPENING.

Why were we all seeing such opposite colors from one picture? That is the question, and although we have answers, I just feel like it will never be satisfying enough. There were a lot of theories. First, I saw this explanation on how your mood and past experiences can affect the colors that you see, but, I don’t know, that didn’t seem right. A lot of people were trying to convince others that they were color blind, but that’s not it either. Some said those with higher-functioning retinas could see black and blue, but… nope.

The answer comes down to science: it’s about how your brain is interpreting the light coming into your eyes. My dad, who is a professional photographer and an art teacher, could not understand why I was freaking out about this, because the answer was so clear to him. Our vision is influenced by our brain, our experiences, and our expectations. One neuroscientist told Buzzfeed, “What you looked at just before you looked at the dress could influence the way your brain perceived it. It could also be that you’ve seen dresses (or fabric) with the same texture or shape before, which could also affect your perception.” However, this isn’t something scientists know a whole lot about, which is pretty interesting. For more scientific details on this, check out this informative article on Wired.

Here’s all I know: whether it’s about perception or not, I see this dress as white and gold, and that hasn’t changed. You can tell me it’s blue and black until you’re literally blue in the face, and I will still see white and gold. And now my brain hurts. So, let’s look at some of the funniest reactions to this dress phenomenon so that we can all feel better about life.

]]>http://www.gurl.com/2015/02/27/what-is-the-dress-white-gold-black-blue-funny-reactions-memes-color-perception/feed/017 Of The Funniest Reactions To The Great Llama Chasehttp://www.gurl.com/2015/02/26/what-is-llama-chase-runaway-llamas-meme-tweets/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-is-llama-chase-runaway-llamas-meme-tweets
http://www.gurl.com/2015/02/26/what-is-llama-chase-runaway-llamas-meme-tweets/#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 22:59:22 +0000http://www.gurl.com/?p=172648Read More]]>I’ve grown up with the Internet, and I’m still constantly amazed by how weird it can be. Case in point: The fact that #llamas was trending on Twitter today. Why? Because two llamas (which might actually be alpacas) escaped in Arizona today, and the attempt to wrangle them back became a national news event. No, really, two llamas running around was breaking news on every major network today. Slow news day?

The llamas were eventually caught, but the Internet didn’t stop freaking out about them and, honestly, it was hard not to start cracking up at my desk. I mean, there’s already a damn Buzzfeed quiz about it.

ABC 15

If you missed the frenzy, no worries, just check out these 17 hilarious reactions to the llama saga. What a time to be alive.

1. Accurate

“LLAMAS ON THE LOOSE”? THIS FEELS LIKE A MOVIE FROM THE THEATER MARQUEE IN DRAKE & JOSH COME TO LIFE